Loom apparatus for weaving contoured thread connected dual wall inflatable fabric



HOWLEY, JR. LOOM APPARATUS FOR WEAVING CONTOURED THREAD CONNECTED ETAL3,217,751

Nov. 16, 1965 DUAL WALL INFLATABLE FABRIC 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 9,1963 HQK A i A L VQOOAXXXXXXXK XXX m E vm zmsr noun 6 wmw ommomu m 5 mam E E W n N W m mm. N 70.1. in m WF Y B o m2 mm 1965 w. N. HOWLEY, JR"ETAL 3,217,751

LOOM APPARATUS FOR WEAVING CONTOURED THREAD CONNECTED I DUAL WALLINFLATABLE FABRIC Filed Dec. 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WSINVHUHW 530 BMW.

WSINVHOEHN 8800 NEVA dOHCI SNIGSOEI INVENTORS.

WALTER N HOWLEY JR BY FREDERICK LETO ATTORNEY United States Patent GLOOM APPARATUS FOR WEAVING CGNTOURED THREAD CONNECTED DUAL WALL INFLAT-ABLE FABRIC Walter N. Howley, In, Havertown, and Frederick Leto, KennettSquare, Pa., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Goodyear AerospaceCorporation, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 9, 1963,Ser. No. 328,874 2 Claims. (Cl. 139--20) This invention relates to aloom apparatus for weaving contoured thread-connected dual wallinflatable fabric, and more particularly to apparatus for weaving adouble fabric having drop-yarns of various lengths extending between thefabrics to provide a contour between the top and bottom fabrics when thefabrics are moved apart to the length of the drop-yarns.

The art of double fabric weaving utilizing a double fabric plush orcarpet loom is well known wherein the drop-yarns are generally made froma tufted yarn so that the fabrics may be split down the center of thedrop-yarns to form piled carpet. Generally, these looms for formingplush or piled carpet have been called plush or carpet looms. One loomof this type is a Wilson and Longbottom double shuttle plush loom madeby the Wilson and Longbottom Limited of England, which loom is capableof Weaving piled carpets. However, where it is desired to vary thespacing between the upper and lower fabrics to achieve desired contours,the art is lacking because there are no means known to properly vary thelength of the drop-yarns. Further, problems arise in attampting to varythe length of the drop-yarns because of the frictional pull of thedrop-yarns through the loom. Further, in order to achieve deeper ortapered fabric layers, it is desirable at times to vary the width of theupper and lower fabrics or to vary their angular relationship to eachother without varying the length of the drop-yarns. These requirementscannot be met with the known art of double-shuttle or double-fabricplush or carpet looms.

Thread-connected dual wall inflatable fabric is manufactured and sold byGoodyear Aerospace Corporation of Akron, Ohio, under the trademarkAirmat registered in the US. Patent Oflice.

Thread-connected dual wall inflatable fabric, hereinafter for simplicitycalled inflatable fabric, has been made with the threads sometimescalled drop yarns, of fine steel wire or of light but strong natural orsynthetic fibers or filaments.

Inflatable fabric of this type when inflated provides a high strengthper unit weight ratio. It consists of an upper and lower woven fabricconnected by drop yarns of equal length for flat inflatable fabric orvarying lengths for contoured inflatable fabric. At present, however, itis not possible to accurately and/or automatically vary the length ofthe drop yarns to make contoured inflatable fabric. Thus, using theplush or carpet looms of the art only flat inflatable fabric ofapproximately three inches thickness is possible, however, flatinflatable fabric can be made up to approximately six inches inthickness by including false picks to extend the drop-yarns which picksare later removed.

Until the technique of weaving contoured inflatable fabric, as disclosedhereinafter, was developed, it was necessary to cut fabrics into stripsand gores which were sown together to produce shapes such as cones,spheres, and air foils. This procedure was not only costly and timeconsuming, but also precluded, to a great extent, any attempt to producesuch shapes with any degree of similarity.

It is the general object of the invention to avoid and ice overcome theforegoing and other difliculties of and objections to prior artpractices by the provisions of a double-fabric loom which is capable ofweaving parallel fabrics having extended drop-yarns therebetween toprovide a desired contour between the fabrics upon movement of thefabrics away from each other to the length of the extension of thedrop-yarns.

A further object of the invention is to provide a loom for weavingcontoured inflatable fabric which is extremely simple, highly effective,and generally low in cost.

The aforesaid objects of the invention and other objects which willbecome apparent as the description proceeds are achieved by providing ina loom for weaving contoured inflatable fabric the combination of meansto weave an upper and lower fabric comprising longitudinal warp cordsand transverse weft cords, means to take off and extend the upper andlower woven fabric in parallel relation to each other, means to weave aplurality of dropyarns between the upper and lower fabrics, and means tovariably extend the length of the drop-yarns between the upper and lowerfabrics when the fabrics are moved apart after weaving and thedrop-yarns are pulled to their extended length.

For a better understanding of the invention reference should be had tothe accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a double-fabric plush type loomemploying the embodiments of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the loom of FIGURE 1.

Weaving is the process of interlacing yarns, threads, strips, or strandsof various materials in such a manner as to produce cloth or fabrics ofan allied nature. All weaving operations are performed on machinescalled looms, which vary in construction according to the kind offabrics they produce. Every woven fabric is composed of two systems ofyarn, namely, the warp and the filling or weft. There may be two or morewarps or two or more systems of filling. The majority of fabrics are,however, what are known as single cloths and are composed of one systemof warp yarn and one system of filling yarn. The warp is that system ofyarn that runs lengthwise of the fabric and consists of a large numberof separate threads, or ends. The number of ends in the warp depends, ofcourse, on the ends per inch in the cloth and the width of the fabric.Before being woven, the separate ends of the warp, which are of equallength and arranged parallel to each other in the form of a sheet ofyarn, are wound tightly on a round roll which is journaled to the frameof the loom and constitutes a part of the loom which is known as theloom beam or the Warp beam. In the process of weaving, the warp yarn isslowly unwound from the beam, which is placed at the back of the loom,while as the weaving progresses, the woven cloth is wound on a roll atthe front of the loom known as the cloth roll. The filling is thatsystem of threads that runs across the fabric from selvage to selvageand unlike the warp consists of a continuous thread or threads that arepassed back and forth from one side of the cloth to the other and areinterlaced with the warp. The filling is placed in the cloth one pick ata time by means of a moving part of the loom known as the shuttle, whichtravels back and forth across the loom from one shuttle box to theother. The filling is wound in the form of a bobbin or cop, which isplaced on a spindle in the shuttle.

In order to produce a woven fabric each warp end is drawn through theeye of a heddle placed on any one of a number of frames known asharnesses. These harnesses, which are carried in the center of the m,are operated by suitable mechanism such as a dobby or a jacquard so thatany of them may be raised or lowered through the space of a few incheswhen desired. Since some of the harnesses are raised while others arelowered, a diamondshaped opening, known as the shed, is made in thewarp,

through which the shuttle carrying the weft is thrown. The shed thencloses, after which a new shed is formed by the raising and lowering ofother harnesses and the weft inserted as previously, thus interlacingthe weft with the warp and forming a woven fabric. These two operationsare known as shedding and picking. The shuttle is being thrown from oneside of the loom to the other leaving the weft some distance from theedge, or, as is technically known, the fell of the cloth. It isnecessary, therefore, after the insertion of each pick, to push thefilling forward to the cloth that has already been woven. This operationis known as meeting up and generally is accomplished by a portion of theloom called the lay that carries an arrangement of vertical wires knownas the reed, through which the warp is passed. The three operations ofshedding, picking, and beating up are known as the principle motions ofweaving and are common to all types of looms. In weaving any fabricthese three operations are repeated over and over again as the cloth ismade pick by pick.

Other motions are applied to looms, but they are of the nature ofauxiliary motions and are not typical of any principle of the weavingprocess. The chief auxiliary motions are: (1) the let-off motion forcontrolling the warp beam and letting the warp unwind as fast as thecloth is woven while it at all times keeps the proper tension on thewarp; (2) the take-up motion for winding the cloth on the cloth roll asit is woven by the loom; (3) the filling stop-motion for automaticallystopping the loom in case the weft breaks; (4) the protector motion forprotecting the warp yarn from being broken by the lay and shuttle incase the latter for any reason remains in the shed when the lay movesforward to beat up the filling; (5) the selvage motion for manipulatingthe selvage ends at each side of the warp in such a manner as to producesmooth and firm edges on the cloth.

Thus, with this background of weaving in mind the description of theweaving mechanism of the invention will be described. Particularly, withreference to FIG- URE 1, the numeral 1 indicates generally the contouredinflatable fabric weaving apparatus of the invention which contains asits central mechanism a double-fabric weaving loom, indicated generallyby numeral 2.. In the loom 2 a plurality of warp beams 3 supply warpyarn 4 and a shuttle mechanism indicated by numeral 5, contains shuttles6 and 7 to supply the filling or weft yarn. The warp yarn 4 iscontrolled by a dobby mechanism 8 so that sheds 9 and 10 are formed toreceive the shuttles 6 and 7, respectively. A reed 5b is provided tobeat up the weft yarn. Thus, a top fabric layer 11 and a bottom fabriclayer 12 are formed. However, instead of utilizing a con ventionaltake-up roll, the invention contemplates that a fabric take-offmechanism, indicated generally by numeral 13, to provide parallel fabrictake-off be utilized. The take-off mechanism 13 operatively holds theupper top fabric 11 and the bottom fabric 12 in clamps 14 and 15,respectively. The clamps 14- and 15 hold the fabrics in substantiallyparallel relationship during the weaving operation. The take-upmechanism 13 is operatively connected to a collapsible support table 16which table is mounted on rollers 17. The take-up mechanism 113 ismounted on geared rollers 18 which are removably aligned to a rack track19. Thus, the take-off mechanism may be driven through the geared wheels18 on track 19 in accordance with the picks per minute by the shuttlemechanism 5 to maintain proper movement of the fabrics to insure propertensioning and weaving.

In order to provide the inflatable fabric characteristics and thecontour thereof a plurality of drop yarns 20 wound onto bobbins 21 andmounted on a creel 22 are provided. The drop yarns 2t run longitudinallythrough the loom 2 in substantially parallel relation to the warp yarn4, and are controlled by a jacquard 23. The drop yarns 20 are woven intothe upper and lower fabrics in the same manner as the warp yarns, butare crossed from one fabric to the other by the jacquard 23 to provideinterconnection between the top and bottom fabric layers and to providecontour therebetween as will be more fully described hereinafter. It iscontemplated that the drop yarn cross overs normally will be betweenabout every two to about every fifteen picks, but could be between about1 and about picks. Thus, the top and bottom fabric layers areinterconnected by a plurality of cross overs of drop yarn, indicated bynumeral 24. The length of the drop yarns is varied by an extension bar,indicated generally by numeral 30, but described more fully hereinafter.The extension of the drop yarns is to provide a contour between the topand bottom fabric layers when the inflatable fabric is made fluidimpervious and inflated.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a plan view of the loom mechanism ll of FIGURE 1,and particular attention should be noted to the fact that the drop yarn20 extends longitudinally in parallel relationship to the warp yarn 4. Asingle strand of weft or filling yarn 5a is indicated as having beenpassed transversely of the warp and drop yarns by the shuttle mechanism5, and is ready to be beaten up by the reed 5b.

In order to provide an extension to the drop yarns 20 to determine thecontour between the top and bottom fabrics in the inflatable fabric, anextension bar, indicated generally by numeral 30, is provided. Note withreference to FIGURE 1, that the extension bar 30 is placed behind thecross over 24 of the drop yarns 28 being woven into the fabrics. Means,such as connecting loops 31 and 32, respectively, may be connected tothe ends of the extension bar 30 to pull it longitudinally between thewoven fabrics in the direction of the arrows 33 to some desiredposition, such as indicated by the dotted line 34. In this manner, thedrop yarns 20 are extended desired distances, according to the contourof the bar 34-, so that when they are rewoven into the respectivefabrics at certain length is determined between the top and bottomfabrics by the drop yarns 2t) to achieve a contour therebetween when theinflatable fabric is made air impervious and inflated. The contour ofthe drop bar 30 may be pre-determined to provide an air foil shape, ablunt rounded nose cone shape or any other desired configuration ofcontour between the top and bottom fabric layers with such determinationprovided by the length of the drop yarns 2t between the fabric layers.

Thus, it is seen that the objects of the invention have been achieved byproviding a double-fabric loom which utilizes a parallel take-upmechanism to provide proper tensioning to the fabrics during the weavingprocess. The fabrics are woven parallel to each other with a pluralityof drop yarns interwoven therebetween, and with the length of the dropyarns being predetermined by extension of the drop yarns beforecompletion of the weaving into the fabric. In this manner when thecompleted fabric is made air impervious and inflated the drop cordsextend to their full length to provide a desired contoured relationshipbetween the fabric layers. It must be understood that this is aprecision weaving process with the exact extension of the drop yarnsbeing of critical importance. Thus, the picks per minute of weaving maybe quite low with the emphasis being placed on the extension of the dropyarns and the proper weaving into the fabrics to maintain the desiredextension.

It should further be understood that the principles of drop yarnextension, of gage angle control and of drop yarn pre-feed are thecritical aspects of the invention, and that the mechanism disclosed isnot necessarily the only mechanism to accomplish the desired results.

Thus, in accordance with the patent statutes, only one best knownembodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described indetail. However, it is to be particularly understood that the inventionis not to be limited thereto or thereby, but that the inventive scope isdefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a loom for weaving double fabrics in substantially parallel spacedrelation wherein drop yarns extend between the fabrics,

means for extending every drop yarn during weaving to variablepre-determined lengths so that when said fabrics are moved apart to thelength of the extended drop yarns a desired contour is attained betweenthe spaced fabrics, said means comprising a long rod having one edgethereof contoured to the shape desired for one side of the fabric, saidrod adaptable to be placed transversely of the woven fabrics behind thecrossed over drop yarns before the drop yarns are woven into the fabricswhereby the contoured edge is aligned substantially parallel to thewoven fabrics, and separate means engaging both ends of the rod to movesaid ends independently longitudinally towards and between said fabricsso the contoured edge of the rod extends said drop yarns a desiredlength according to the contour thereof and the longitudinal distancethat each end is moved.

2. In a loom for weaving double fabrics in parallel spaced relationwherein drop yarns extend between the fabrics to determine the finalspaced relation of the fabrics,

means for extending every drop yarn to variable predetermined lengths sothat when said fabrics are moved apart to the length of the extendeddrop yarns a desired contour is attained between the spaced fabrics,said means comprising bar means having one edge thereof contoured to theshape desired for one side of the fabric, said bar means independentlypositioned transversely of the woven fabric behind the drop yarns beforethey are woven into the fabrics with the contoured edge of the bar meanssubstantially parallel to the fabrics, and

means to move said bar means independently of any other loom operationso as to extend said drop yarns a desired length according to thecontour of said rod and the distance that it is moved.

References (Iited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,976,79310/1934 Mangold 139384 2,025,866 12/1935 Holmes 139-20 2,046,039 6/1936Schaar 139-384 2,317,518 4/ 1943 Brindle 139-20 2,356,456 8/1944 Garner139397 XR 2,632,480 3/1953 MacIntyre 139-410 2,657,716 11/1953 Ford139-410 2,743,510 5/1956 Mauney et al 139410 X 2,848,018 8/1958 Neisler13920 X 3,008,213 11/1961 Foster et a1 139 410 X FOREIGN PATENTS 69,10012/ 1 Netherlands.

DONALD W. PARKER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A LOOM FOR WEAVING DOUBLE FABRICS IN SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL SPACEDRELATION WHEREIN DROP YARNS EXTEND BETWEEN THE FABRICS, MEANS FOREXTENDING EVERY DROP YARN DURING WEAVING TO VARIABLE PRE-DETERMINEDLENGTHS SO THAT WHEN SAID FABRICS ARE MOVED APART TO THE LENGTH OF THEEXTENDED DROP YARNS A DESIRED CONTOUR IS ATTAINED BETWEEN THE SPACEDFABRICS, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A LONG ROD HAVING ONE EDGE THEREOFCONTOURED TO THE SHAPE DESIRED FOR ONE SIDE OF THE FABRIC, SAID RODADAPTABLE TO BE PLACED TRANSVERSELY OF THE WOVEN FABRICS BEHIND THECROSSED OVER DROP YARNS BEFORE THE DROP YARNS ARE WOVEN INTO THE FABRICS